Well, I'm experiencing prejudice first hand. Since I've become supervisor, I've experienced a kind of "rankism". That doesn't sound too bad (except is sounds kinda smelly! *laugh*), and it really isn't. More interesting that bad. Nothing compared to your standard racism, sexism, ageism, etc. But considering the fact that I am a white middle-classed male, aged 18-35, it's pretty much the only thing I'm gonna get any time soon. Although that's not really true. I have experienced a kind of reversed prejudice, feeling hated or at least disliked and assumption-faced while I've lived and worked the most ethnically diverse region in North America : the NYC area.
Anyway, back to my point : as supervisor, I'm the boss of people and the colleague of my previous jobplace superiors. The people I'm now boss of, although mostly pretty good, do seem to view what I do in a different light - a more critical light. To be expected, sure, and perhaps not totally unwarranted (maybe I have changed my attitude slightly, although unintentional), but unfortunate nonetheless. I am busier, but I don't think I'm, say, like most other managers. I've also experienced the positive side of the prejudice, having my ideas listened to with a little bit more interest, my jokes laughed at a little harder, and people willing to do more for me. Both reactions dismay me and I hope, since I only got the promotion a few days ago, that the negative experience will fade with illustrations of my "nice" management style, and that the positive experience will be less "rank" oriented for me and others, and more "desert" oriented as it should me.
1 comment:
Hey, it comes with the territory, I guess. So does the additional pressure on you, being up there now and all. Maybe that partly it.
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